1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to golf carts, and more specifically to a portable canopy removably attachable to a motorized golf cart to provide a cover over its rear compartment and golf club bags therein.
2. Prior Art
Motorized golf carts commonly have a seating cabin covered by a roof and an uncovered rear deck or compartment on which golf bags with clubs are transported. Thus, golfers within the cabin may be protected during rain but their golf clubs get wet. Wet, and therefore slippery, club grips become an annoyance to golfers, so they seek a means of keeping their clubs dry as well as themselves, such as a canopy over the golf bag compartment.
It is known in the art to have canopies for golf cart rear compartments. Generally, it advantageous for the canopy to unfold over and in close proximity to the clubs to minimize exposure to the weather. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,041 shows a portable, removable rear cover for an electric cart in the form of a flexible plastic sheet with a woven panel secured to the golf cart with shock cords. The cover drapes over the club bags in the golf cart compartment but requires the golfer to detach the shock cords on each cart side to access the golf bags. This is a nuisance to golfers who prefer the ease of quickly accessing the golf bag and clubs within preferably by simply lifting a cover from over the clubs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,037 describes a protective canopy for a motorized golf cart rear compartment that provides ease of access by simply lifting the cover on a frame from over the clubs in the compartment However, the flame is permanently mounted to the golf cart. Because the need for golf carts with rain protection for the clubs is not usual, it is preferred that the canopy be quickly attachable to and detachable from the cart as need arises. Thus, a golf cart facility might choose to reduce his costs by maintaining an inventory a smaller number of canopies than golf carts and attaching a canopy to a cart only upon request of a user.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable, removable golf cart canopy for its rear golf cart compartment that can be easily opened by simply lifting up the canopy without detaching tying cords. It is another object that the portable, removable canopy by removable and portable. It is a further object that the canopy unfold over and in close proximity to the clubs in the cart rear compartment to minimize exposure to the weather. It is yet another object that the canopy be easily and quickly mounted to and removed from a golf cart. It is a still further object that the canopy be of general applicability, adjustable to fit on golf carts of different rear compartment design. It is a yet still further object that the canopy fame fold into a common plane to minimize protrusion into the rear compartment, avoiding inadvertent bumps on the frame which could damage the frame or knock it loose from the cart and also avoiding protruding brackets otherwise for mounting a canopy frame to the cart, eliminating snags and scrapes and other user injuries.